Endless Spiral
by Comet2000
Summary: Life is hard for a group of Inter-galactic mercenaries. Between dangerous missions, wormhole hopping and at least two star systems out for your blood, things can't get much worse. And then suddenly, they do, particularly when everything they've tried so hard to run from starts pulling them back in, down towards an endless spiral.
1. Acquisitions

**Title**: Endless Spiral

**Summary**: Life is hard for a group of Inter-galactic mercenaries. Between dangerous missions, wormhole hopping and at least two star systems out for your blood, things can't get much worse. And then suddenly, they do, particularly when everything they've tried so hard to run from starts pulling them back in, down towards an endless spiral. Series of connected One-shots, spanning from the Departure to ten years from that and beyond. Each chapter can be a stand alone and will hop around in order to show what's happened since the Aliens left the planet.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Roswell or Roswell Characters so don't sue! I've got nothing you'd want anyway The concept of the stones of power belongs to Melinda Metz.

**Rating**: Mature, mostly for language

**Author's note**: Storyline followed until Departure, with a few small changes. The aliens did leave the planet…but it wasn't in the Granolith. And yes, this is probably the last thing I should be doing, given that I have other stories, but this just wouldn't get out of my head. Would love to hear what you think, especially as this is my first foray into a fic where powers are involved!

**1. Acquisitions**

_10 years after The Departure_

Rain falls endlessly, soaking the dry, brown desert floor.

It drinks in thirstily, and when it's had its fill, dirty rivers of red water spread, like the creeping fingers of some insidious disease, and much like the tendrils of a long forgotten abyss that always succeeded in pulling me back in.

There, nothing is certain, and everything you think is familiar and safe, is all things except that. It is a place of no return, you don't enter and then leave unchanged. If you let it, it will take everything about you and twist it so badly, when you finally take the time to get a good look at yourself, you will find that you have become an unrecognizable stranger.

This is the only explanation I can give to myself, the only reason that I am calmly hiding in the shadows of a canyon just beneath an alien stronghold, power humming through my veins, and hell bent on rescuing the son of my worst enemy.

Yes.

I'm here to save her son.

And yes.

I know it is incredibly fucked up.

If you need more proof, all you'd have to do is look at my companions on this suicidal mission, each with identical expressions of purpose on their faces, each getting soaked to the bone in this stupid rain. Their names don't matter anymore, we've had to leave all that behind, we've had to become nameless faces that are able to blend into the shadows of night and disappear without anyone ever knowing we were there. For the sake of being thorough however, and since I know well enough that names give us at least a somewhat human connotation, I'll give you those which we go by in times like this.

Behind me is Exit, female, Caucasian, earthling. Her name comes from her handy little talent of being able to make a fast getaway out of any place, any situation. Across the gulf are Pulse and Synapse, both male, both Caucasian and both from Earth too. Their powers are…well. I suppose you'll get to know all our powers soon. God only knows, we use them often enough.

If any more proof of our presence in said abyss is required, consider then, that one of our numbers shouldn't technically exist. One of us, should be and by all rights, is, dead to the rest of the universe. And if that still doesn't convince you, maybe the little fact that we, who have no genetic anomalies in our bodies, possess powers that everyone else doesn't, might do it for you.

Maybe the ultimate proof lies in that they are here to save her son too.

Yeah, yeah.

We know that our lives suck.

My name is Link. You'll find out why soon enough.

Exit's blue eyes are shining almost as brightly as the small shard of jewel that's permanently lodged just above her left eyebrow, and a mixture of impatience and fear rolls off her in waves. The affair with the stones of power invoke a feeling of almost fond nostalgia within me; I should probably be inclined to look upon those times with more affection, particularly because they brought Synapse back to us in the first place, but Exit almost died then too, so I'll pass. She survived obviously, and got new, permanent jewelry plus the always-useful alien powers to boot. Just goes to show you, sometimes the fates slip up on the job, you know, and something good actually goes our way. We sure as hell didn't see it that way at first though.

Especially since that stupid stone almost drove Exit insane.

But enough about that happy chapter in our lives.

Across the canyon from us, hidden well behind a boulder are Synapse and Pulse. The mystery of Synapse's presence in the world is tied up to that entire mess with the stones too, and if Vittorio didn't piss me off so much, I would probably have a clearer idea of how he came to exist again. Unfortunately, Vittorio DOES piss me off, and mentor or not, I would sooner bow to the King of this god-forsaken planet than actually spend more time in his presence than I have to.

On cue, the cold, slimy feeling rises up in me and I scowl.

I take it back.

I'd take more sessions with Vittorio than being in his highness's presence any day.

~*~ Exit~*~

*^* Link

*`* Pulse

~`~ Synapse

_~*~I HATE THE RAIN!~*~_

Shit.

I jerk at the 'yell' in my mind, and behind me, Exit winces in apology. I concentrate, splitting my power in half, devoting some to the conversation that will now undoubtedly play out in the confines of my brain, and the rest to watching my surroundings for any sign of danger.

_*^*Exit! Not so loud!*^*_

_~*~Sorry, babe. It's just that your damned mental blocks were up again, and short of poking you with this handy little taser of mine, I had to get your attention__somehow! The stone just got a little…over eager. You know it's the only thing that can get past you.~*~_

_*^*I wish you'd stop referring to it as a living thing. It's creepy as hell.*^* _

_~*~I'll make you a deal. You stop referring to the Granolith as a cranky old man in desperate need of getting laid, and I'll stop referring to my jewellery as a real live being.~*~_

_*^*I-That's not fair. The Granolith IS a cranky old man in desperate need of getting laid.*^*_

_~*~You're talking about the embodiment of power of the universe, Link. What WOULD Vitorio do if he heard you?~*~_

_*^* Probably die of shock if I'm lucky. And come on, Exit. What other reason could there POSSIBLY be for us being here unless the Granolith was a cranky old man in desperate need of getting laid? Look at us.*^*_

I turn around to face her, glancing around our surroundings and the very intimidating looking fortress above us meaningfully. We have been together almost our whole lives, Exit and I, and my silent gestures are enough to communicate our situation to her. We are on a mission that has less than perfect odds of actually succeeding. We're here to rescue a child whose mother destroyed the lives of almost everyone she came into contact with, because as usual, his father is stumbling around blindly, completely unaware that there is danger in the first place. I ask you, who else but a cranky old man in desperate need of getting laid has time to think of torture like this?

My unspoken question obviously meets its mark, because I see Exit roll her eyes even as she responds silently to me.

_~*~Bullshit. You love these kind of odds.~*~ _

_*^*I do not. I'm not suicidal.*^*_

I will never know how she does it, but even telepathically, Exit manages to snort at me.

_~*~You realize that doing things like jumping into the Granolith makes me NOT believe you?~*~_

_*^*I'm the…you know what I am. I wouldn't have died.*^*_

_~*~You didn't know that then, and you almost did.~*~_

_~*~You know I'm right.~*~_

_*^*Shut up Exit.*^*_

_~*~So, anyway, will you stop calling the Granolith that? As much as I enjoy the sport of seeing which of us can get him to the point where those veins pop out of his forehead, you know if Vittorio ever heard you, we'd have to sit through another lecture on the history and importance of the damned thing.~*~_

_*^* I thought it was the embodiment of power in the universe?*^*_

_~*~ I'm taking baby steps, babe, give me a break. Sheesh.~*~_

I feel her presence retreat from my mind and realize belatedly that I never got to commiserate that I hate the rain too. Images of a teenage couple kissing while rain pours all around them flash in my mind and I swear roundly under my breath.

Even on another planet, they still won't leave me alone.

Oh wait.

This is THEIR planet.

Never mind.

_*`*LINK!*`*_

I jerk again, this time almost lurching into the outcrop of rock I'm hiding behind. Exit's hand snaps out to steady me and I take a deep breath, opening up the connection to Pulse instead.

_*^*God damnit, would you guys quit yelling at me?! I'm not deaf you know, and the blocks aren't even up!*^*_

_*`*Sorry, sorry! It's just that we can never tell if they're there or not and yelling is usually like ringing a doorbell in that stubborn head of yours.*`*_

_*^*What do you want Pulse?*^*_

_*`*Oh, so you'll have a conversation with Exit, but with me, it's all business?*`*_

_*^* Oh for chrissakes… Fine! Fine. What would you like to talk about today?*^*_

_*`*Just wondering. Do you ever get the feeling that the Granolith is some bitter old dude who needs a woman in his life?*`*_

Heh. If only Exit could hear this conversation; I knew I wasn't the only one who thought it.

_*^* Every. Single. Day. I was actually thinking of asking you to donate some…literature to the cause, you know. Maybe loosen him up a little?*^*_

_*`*Are you listening to yourself? It's a religious icon that's several eons old and you want to show it dirty magazines? Buddha would not approve.*`*_

_*^* You've actually been listening to Vitorio? Pulse, I'm appalled! And speaking of Buddha's disapproval, aren't you afraid you'll incur it by keeping a collection of said _

_magazines?*^*_

I can tell the Pulse is unimpressed, and his next thoughts reveal just how underwhelmed he is.

_*`*Let's review, shall we? I'm on yet another planet with a suicidal team leader, my trigger happy step-sister who has very worrying pyromaniac tendencies, and a friend who should be dead and who technically doesn't even exist anymore. Just for kicks, I'm here to rescue a kid whose mother was responsible for killing said friend in the first place, not to mention totally ruining our lives in the process. And, if all that wasn't enough, I'm full up to gills with alien powers. Trust me, Link. Buddha understands.*`*_

_*^* Whatever you need to tell yourself to get through the day, Pulse. And I am hardly suicidal, I don't get why everyone keeps saying that. So is that a no on the magazines?*^*_

_*`*Link. Vitorio would have a fit and would probably fry our asses if he caught us.*`*_

_*^* I know he would have a fit; I do enjoy it when he has them. I still think five of his veins pop out, but Synapse swears it's six. And as for the frying, he wouldn't dare, he knows I can give him as good as I've got. And that happy event only comes about IF we get caught.*^*_

_*`*…it has been a while since I pissed the old man off. Tell you what. If we survive this little adventure, I'll give it some thought.*`*_

_*^*You just don't want to part with any of your magazines.*^*_

_*`*They're CLASSICS Link!*`*_

_*^*Ew, Pulse. Never mind, I'll get Synapse to help me with it.*^*_

_*`*Syn wouldn't have the guts.*`*_

_*^*Untrue. You have no idea what Syn is capable of.*^*_

I close the connection with Pulse and smile at the thought of the mentor being apoplectic with anger. Good times. I count the day wasted if I don't antagonize the stuffy tight ass at least once. Of course, he usually punishes me for it by assigning extra time in training but it's so much fun, I generally don't mind this. A few minutes later, a gentle humming starts up in my mind and I recognize Synapse's signature immediately, different yet still clearly his. I grin, because at least one of my family has enough tact and doesn't 'yell' loud enough to knock me flat on my ass. I allow the connection and we start to speak.

_*^*Syn. Pulse and I were just talking about you.*^*_

_~`~Yeah. He told me about your porn mag theory. Not one of your better ideas.~`~_

_*^*Oh come on. You can't tell me that it doesn't have merit. *^*_

_~`~You know it would make Vittorio mad.~`~_

_*^* That's just a side benefit. I'm not seeing the bad here, Syn. I consider it my personal calling in life to make Vittorio mad.*^*_

_~`~He's your mentor, Link. Shouldn't you have that whole student-teacher respect thing?~`~_

_*^*Respect him? Don't make me laugh, Synapse. I'm trying to get into mission mode here. Amusing me won't help.*^*_

_~`~And yet you pursue conversations of questionable contents with Exit and Pulse.~`~_

_*^*What can I say? They help me get into mission mode. Just don't mention that I should respect Vitorio though. That would just piss ME off. *^*_

_~`~One day, I'm going to understand this twisted relationship you have with him.~`~_

I smile grimly and and resist the urge to snort derisively.

_*^* I wouldn't hold your breath for that one, Syn.*^*_

_~`~ Yeah well. Stranger things have happened. Oh and I actually had a reason for calling on you.~`~_

_*^*What's that?*^*_

_~`~The changeover is starting.~`~_

The words send an adrenaline rush through me and there is an instant change in the mood around us. The air of fake ease that the pointless, teasing conversation we've been having vanishes, and you can almost see the tightening of tension in the air, or whatever passes for it around here.

_*^*Thanks. Get Pulse, I'll grab Exit and we'll meet you back here to go over the specs.*^*_

_~`~Roger that, fearless leader.~`~_

I scowl again, the familiar title and the memory of the abrasive young man who used to say it causing a pang to slice through me.

_*^*Don't call me that, Syn.*^*_

I break out of the link and grab hold of Exit's hand. She tenses, and then allows a connection to spring up between us. I ignore the rush of images that fly by, for they are almost as familiar to me as my own memories.

_~*~Is it starting?~*~_

_*^* Yes. Synapse and Pulse will be here soon to go over the plan.*^*_

_~*~Good, let's just get this over with. The sooner we're off this planet the better.~*~_

_*`*Amen to that, Exit. This place gives me the urge to hurl very strongly. *`*_

_~`~ The air tastes funny here. Burns my throat.~`~_

_*^*It's because we haven't gone through the realignment, Syn. We're only going to be able to survive here for another couple of hours before the air corrodes the lining of the alveoli in our lungs.*^*_

_*`*You're joking right?*`*_

_*^* No. I'm not, actually.*^*_

_*'*And I wasn't informed of this earlier because?*`*_

_*^*Because you would have been even less eager to come?*^*_

_~*~Tuh. Like any of us was really raring to come here.~*~_

_*^* The point is, that little fact only reinforces why we need to do this fast. The changeover is starting; when it's at its most volatile, we should be able to feel it. I'll__knock them out and it will give us a window of 15 to 20 minutes. When their wards are down, Pulse will get us in, Exit, you'll stand guard at the entrance to the East Wing. Synapse, you're with me. We'll obtain the target and at the end of the window, we should be on our way out. I'll take point, Pulse you take the rear. Exit, you're with Synapse in the center, as look out and get ready to open the hole at any moment. Synapse, you're holding the target. Everybody clear?*^*_

_~`~Wait a second. Why am I stuck with the target?~`~_

_~*~Because the rest of us aren't saints and could be tempted to do very bad things to it.~*~_

_~`~I'm hardly a saint, Exit.~`~_

_~*~You're the closest thing we've got.~*~_

_*`* Syn, you have less history with the target. The rest of us weren't so lucky.*`*_

_~`~None of you ever even met him!~`~_

_*^*That's exactly our point. To you, he is a living being. To the rest of us, he's just a target we have to acquire. Because of this, he automatically becomes just another __objective, and none of us will fight to the best of our abilities if we're responsible for him.*^*_

_~`~Jesus. Link, I know there's bad blood here, for god's sake, part of me died so he could be born! But none of you should take it out on him. It wasn't his fault, he's only a ten year old child.~`~_

_~*~Who's conception took EVERYTHING from us, Syn, even you!~*~_

_~`~That wasn't me, Exit! Don't blame this child for what happened between-~`~_

The situation bears all the hallmarks of one that is rapidly spiraling out of control and I can feel my family's nerves fraying. As confident as I am of the skills we possess, the fact remains that there is very little each of us wouldn't give to not be standing on this rock right now. The longer we are here, the longer we fight, the clearer this becomes.

Time to intervene.

_*^*Enough. Exit, stand down, your powers will register on their wards if you keep that up. Synapse, I have no intention of taking anything out on anyone, neither does anyone else. You take care of the target, and the rest of us will take care of you. That's an order. Understood?*^*_

_~`~Loud and clear.~`~_

_*^*Good. Exit. First sign of trouble, you grab Synapse and the Target and get the hell out of here. Vittorio will be able to track wherever you'll land. After that, you know the drill.*^*_

_~*~Copy.~*~_

_*`*Link. Get ready. It's getting stronger.*`*_

_*^*Right. Good luck everyone, please try not to die. You'll only piss me off if I have to bring you back.*^*_

_~`~Yeah yeah, Link. As if you wouldn't be bawling your head off if something did happen to one of us.~`~_

_~*~That's our girl, Syn. Always trying to hide behind the tough words.~*~_

_*`*She's really just a big softie at heart. You just have to know her triggers…like…white roses for example. And that band, Gom-*`*_

_*^*Pulse! What are you-focus, please? Get ready to take us in.*^*_

One by one, their presences recede from my mind. I cannot deny that their words haven't shaken me just a little, just like I can't deny that I hate this part in missions like this. The waiting I can handle; the bone crushing hours of doing nothing but watching and keeping completely motionless are nothing to me. Staring straight into the faces of killers is second nature to me now, but I still cannot get over the fact that every other day, I am sending my family into situations where they could die.

And the minute I get used to it, I will know that who I used to be is well and truly dead.

I close my eyes, feeling outwards for the mental wards that guard this place. I come against it immediately; it's a shining, vast entity, reeking of the combined power of hundreds of Antarians, all plugged into the thought plane. It's moving, shifting, as the changeover occurs and some warders stand down to let others take their place. This is when the wards are weakest, and in the split second window between the ending of a new ward and the start of the new one, I release a concentrated blast of energy into the first consciousness I can find.

There is a silent howl of pain across the thought realm and it grows stronger and stronger as the pain spreads to each of the warders. Three seconds, and there is a symphony of suffering clamoring in my head, the screams of the hundreds of beings now concentrated on the person who hurt them, determined to bring me down too. It's an automatic defense mechanism.

Fortunately (unfortunately?) for me, I have been through far worse.

It won't work.

The screams start to die down.

And then another ward snaps into life, this one a brilliant, sparkling purple, magnificent in looks and…ouch. My tentative brush to test its might sends me reeling, I hurry to regroup, releasing more energy into the tenuous grip I have left on the connection. Whoever is in charge of this new ward is good, and very powerful too. I have not felt shocks of that magnitude since the first time I tried to peek into Vittorio's mind- was that not ever pretty. Along with a splitting headache, I got singed eyebrows to boot.

Focus.

I pull back, letting whoever is projecting this new one think that I've given up for a while I examine the shining mass I can see dancing in front of my eyes. It's not a proper ward, it's been hastily constructed, probably borne of a desperation to keep me out. Which means…I retreat fully, gathering energy in one large pool, feeding and shaping it until it resembles a lance of pure green, letting it fly straight towards the purple shield. As it expected, the shimmering becomes highly concentrated in the middle, where the lance will most likely hit.

Except that it doesn't.

A breath before my green can bounce off the purple, the lance splinters off into a four-pronged stake, targeting the weakest parts of the ward. It slices through like steel against bone.

The ward shatters like glass.

Somewhere, I hear a primal scream of pain that shakes me, because it sounds so familiar…and then I come back to the present, quickly making sure that there will be no more threats because the unexpected second ward has taken more time than I originally anticipated to break.

We're not in the Canyon anymore.

Exit's steering me around in front of her and Synapse is directly behind her, with Pulse taking point. They must have realized that something went wrong, but they went ahead with the plan anyway. There is a faint smell of acrid smoke behind us and I know that we were already inside when the second ward came up, because a battle was fought already.

" Status?"

No one flinches, all too familiar with my abrupt returns to our reality.

" Three guards, taken care of. We're on our way up to the east wing."

The single file line we've been moving in splinters into a diagonal two and two pairing, a perfect diamond. Pulse and I take point at the front and back, with Exit and Synapse supporting. It's a demented version of that old four square that was the beginning of so many nightmares for the universe. Now, it's an all-human contingency making it up, and we, unlike our predecessors before us, quite frankly, kick ass.

There is no more time for conversation. I've taken care of those who would seek to harm us mentally, but that still leaves soldiers from the very formidable Antarian army to deal with. And from all accounts, only the best were chosen to guard this stronghold. And it shows; they are inhumanly fast, hardy and skilled…intelligent and well organized.

They could almost be a challenge.

Almost.

A white-hot blast comes a little too close to my head for my liking. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Exit quickly subduing the soldiers right and left with little taps of that handy taser of hers. It looks like there are four Exit's; she's porting from place to place so quickly. I should tell her to save her strength for the hole she's got to open when we get the target, but some idiot has decided to challenge me now.

Normally, I prefer going hand to hand, but there isn't time for that, brute force is the smarter option. A flick of my finger sends him flying hard against the compound wall. He crumples against it, but three more scurry in to take his place, combining their powers to send a blast at me. I raise my own emerald shield to deflect this, and watch with the familiar mixture of satisfaction and dread at the expression on their faces when they see it. After they freeze, it's a simple matter for Synapse and Pulse to swoop in and take them out.

When we are through, all 56 of the soldiers we have encountered are unconscious at various levels of the compound.

We have fourteen minutes left.

Exit stands guard at the east end of the hall.

Pulse does the same at the north.

The silver door before us beckons like some violent monster blessed with deadly charm. Behind that door, is her son.

Behind that door, death calls…

Well fine.

Emotional death at least.

Synapse whistles as he raises a hand against the air in front of the door, running it over what is apparently some invisible barrier. I can feel it's power pulsing even from where I stand a good three feet away, and though I could probably dismantle it by overpowering the ward, I let Synapse figure out how to get past it. I am not going to touch it, it practically reeks of his essence. Obviously, the great King did the warding on this door himself, and it is no doubt impressive, designed to suck and trap any foreign consciousness that comes into contact with it. I would not be able to undo it; we think too alike. He would have covered every hole I would have sought to exploit. And if I come into contact with it, I may lose control and that is one thing I will never let go of again. This is why Synapse is the perfect one for this job; his uncanny ability to think out of the box will get us through this door. It has to.

Orange.

A soft orange glow appears and I know that Synapse is at last manipulating the strands of energy that block entry into the room.

Faster.

I hear the rhythmic pounding of footsteps coming from below us. Reinforcements. I guess we're not going to be able to get out that way. More fighting, more attempts on our lives.

You'd think I'd get used to this by now.

_*^*Eight minutes, Syn.*^*_

In answer, the silver door swings open and Synapse staggers backward slightly. I'm in motion immediately, at his side and marching him into the room, only to stop dead in the center of it all.

I wasn't expecting this.

It looks like an old fashioned nursery from back on Earth. The walls are painted a light sky blue, puffy white clouds drifting across it, completely different from the harsh crimson skies and purple vapors that are characteristic of Antar's horizons. Toys and books are strewn all over the cream carpeted floor, and in a bed that's piled high with pillows and a comforter emblazoned with race cars and motorcycles, a little boy stares at us, eyes wide and face scared.

We have six minutes.

" Syn," I rasp, unable to do anything else but stare at the target who I have just acknowledged as a little boy for the first time.

Synapse understands and snaps into action, moving to acquire…the target. I hear sounds of battle beginning again. We may have to make a new way out of here, before…more people come.

_~`~ Link, grab him!~`~_

I spin around. The target has evaded Synapse's hands and is making a beeline straight towards me.

My first impulse is to run.

And then I realize that this notion is completely ridiculous. I am a grown woman, I have more power in one finger than most beings will have in three lifetimes. I will not run from a target who is barely three feet tall. Even if he happens to look exactly like-

The thought will not complete itself, and I power up immediately. Something is wrong though; I feel a surge, and Synapse shields his eyes as my aura flares to life around me.

Shit.

Shit.

_Shit._

That wasn't supposed to happen.

It's been years since I lost enough control to involuntarily let my aura show like this. Vittorio will never shut up now. I hope this will scare the target back to Synapse anyway. Exit always told me that I looked like hell come to life when this happens.

So why is that instead of screaming shrilly and running away from me like a good little target, he only runs faster?

I grunt as he collides with me, wrapping his arms around my mid-riff like he never wants to let go. Synapse is staring at me open-mouthed but a large blast rocks us all and he's flying out the door to assist Exit and Pulse before I know what's happening. I glance down, and the target is staring up at me with eyes the exact image of the ones I could have sworn saw into my soul once.

Time's up.

I know Vittorio will never shut up even more if I don't make this work.

So it's time to move.

I break the stare and swing the target up into my arms. The target acts like he's used to being toted around like this, because he immediately wraps his legs around my waist and his arms around my neck, redistributing his weight so that I'm able to free up one of my arms and use the other to hold him. He snuggles his head in between my neck and shoulder and a pang slices through me, even as I rush into the hallway that's literally burning up with energy.

_*^*Time to go!*^*_

Pulse and Synapse come together, creating a protective barrier around Exit, who has become our most important asset. I run to her, firing a shot here, deflecting one there, twisting my body around every which way so that the target will remain unscathed. A particularly large soldier charges at us, and I'm forced to duck and roll, with the target, which startles him so much that he whimpers, and distracts me long enough for an energy blast to graze my shoulder.

_Fuck._

That HURT.

I'm up again, and before I can make the bastard pay, Pulse does it for me with a well aimed blast. I cannot resist launching a kick to the soldier's stomach as I run past. Just because we don't kill our enemies doesn't mean I can't make them hurt when I want to.

I've reached Exit's side, and I immediately surround her with a shield while simultaneously trying to loosen the grip the target has around my neck.

He doesn't let go.

This is just great.

_*`* How long?!*`*_ Pulse calls to me, trying to hold up against the barrage of weaponry that they are now firing against us.

I glance at Exit, dropping my shield around her long enough to fire another blast of energy at another attacker and then slamming it up again. She's glowing now, the jewel in her head matching the magenta that's shimmering from her palms. Wind starts to pick up. Clothes start to flap.

_*^* Two, three minutes tops. Where's the suit?!*^*_

Synapse lobs a package over Exit's head at me, and it only narrowly avoids getting blasted into oblivion.

_*^* Pulse, take point! Guard Exit!*^*_

He nods, and takes my place as Exit's guardian. Again, I try to shake the target from the current position he's in. It doesn't work. I sigh and force myself to speak.

" You have to let go of me now," I whisper quietly into his ear, the syllables falling from my lips not english, but fluent Antarian. I'm amazed I've managed to carry him for this long, sprinting and dodging deadly bolts of energy while I was at it too. Must be stronger than I thought. He shakes his head against my neck, holding me tighter. Is this normal behavior for a ten year old? " Let me go."

The target stares up at me, and instead of focusing on his eyes, I stare at the soft, round planes of his face. Cheeks that are still bulging with baby fat, a small pink mouth that's trembling with either fear or tears…he looks much too young to be ten years old. My heart pounds and to my horror, I sway unsteadily on my feet. Granolith help us, does she have more than one son?

_*^* Stop Exit, tell her to close the hole, tell her to close it now!*^*_

*`* What?*`* Pulse is alarmed, looking at me like I'm insane. *'* Why?!*`*

_~`~ What are you doing? Link!~`~_ Synapse calls anxiously, still trying to hold off the advance of the soldiers.

_*^* DO IT!*^*_

I tune out their next protests and flick my gaze into the eyes of the target.

And then I'm in.

I can feel his presence, flitting all around me. He's hiding, but he doesn't want to, not really. He's only doing it, because that's what his daddy said he should do if someone gets into his head, but strangely, he doesn't want to hide from me. I remind him of his daddy, from the way I talk, to the way I hold him and especially from how I make him feel when he touches me. He doesn't know why, but something in him recognizes me, and he feels like he's safe with me.

I shove the thought away.

_*^*Where's your brother?*^*_

He's confused. He's always wanted a sibling, but he knows he doesn't have one. Alarm races through him. Could he have made a mistake? Was he wrong about me? He's pulling further from me now and I hasten to lure him back.

_*^*No, no, it's okay, it's fine, don't go away. We're going on a trip, but you need to wear special clothes for it, okay, so that I'll be able to find you if something bad happens. So you have to let me go now, so you can put it on.*^*_

Slowly, hands untangle from around my neck and he slips to the ground. I realize now that I was so stupid to ever think he could be a ten year old, even I was never as short as this when I was ten. He can't be more than five. I realize also, that the containment suit we brought along for him is never going to fit now, because it's made for someone more than twice his age. A child cannot survive the trip through a wormhole WITHOUT a containment suit, and an ill-fitting one is worse than not wearing one at all. I am going to kill Vittorio; I'm sure that the bastard knew about this, and if he proves me right…

Impatience courses through me as I gather the target back into my arms, pushing thoughts of delicious revenge out of my head for the moment. The new plan is forming fast in my brain; it will need the four of us, and it won't work if we're fending off attacks from every direction. I open the link once more.

_*^* I'm going to put you to sleep.*^*_

The target roars his disapproval in my mind and in reality, shakes his head violently. He doesn't want to go to sleep. He doesn't like the dark. Bad things happen in the dark; people get hurt in the dark. He starts to push against my presence in his mind, trying to get me out. It would be so easy to overpower him, just to knock him out and end this, but I guess who I used to be isn't dead yet, because something in me absolutely refuses to harm the target.

I hate that.

_*^*You HAVE to go to sleep. I need to get you out of here to keep you safe, and I can't do it if you're awake. You're going to get hurt.*^*_

_I want…Daddy._

The plaintive cry echoes in my mind, and I grit my teeth with fury. Never mind about killing Vittorio; I'm going to torture him first, heal him up, and then torture him again before I blow him to kingdom come. I bet he got some kind of sadistic pleasure at the thought of my explaining to her son why his daddy isn't here.

That bastard.

_[i]*^*Your daddy's not here right now, but if you let me put you to sleep, you'll see him again soon.*^*[/i]_

_Soon?_

_*^*Soon.*^*_

He projects an image of a planet into my mind, a blue, green and brown orb revolving around a golden star. It's home. It's my home.

_To Earth?_

_*^*Yes, Earth. That's where we're going, but you have to let me put you to sleep.*^*_

He's considering it, wondering if the planet with the pretty skies and nice smells is worth braving the dark. Subtly, I plant a thought into his mind, nudging him in the direction of a positive. We're running out of time. Even with half my power concentrated here, I can feel more reinforcements coming. The warders are starting to stir, and if that wasn't enough theyare on their way too. I feel this as certainly as I feel the beat of my own heart. And we are not ready to face them yet. I doubt we will ever be.

Besides, past history aside, I doubt they'd look on kindly as we steal away their Kingdom's future after all.

_Puppy._

A tiny dog, golden lab by the looks of him, gambols playfully on a carpet of green, green grass. This newest image causes me confusion until I figure out what the target wants. What a time for that Antarian instinct to secure their wants to come into play; the target is actuallybargaining with me, at a time when we are teetering on the edge of destruction no less.

My life sucks.

_*^*I can't believe...Fine, fine! I'll get you a damned puppy. Now can I put you to sleep?!*^*_

He stops pushing against me. I seek him out with my mind and just like that, he lies limp in my arms. I snap back to the present and realize that Exit has snapped out of her trance and she, Synapse and Pulse have joined powers to create a shield that dances with the colors of each of their auras.

A crowd of no less than 23 soldiers now crowd around us, and more come with every minute.

Shit.

_*^* Exit. Synapse .Pulse.*^*_

They don't respond, but I know they've heard me. The effort of maintaining the shield against all this abuse is taking their concentration.

_*^* When I give the word, drop the shield. Exit, the moment I'm done, open the wormhole, and take us home.*^*_

They know what I'm going to do.

I just hope they can forgive me for it.

The burn begins. My aura flares out again, emerald green, so bright and intense that it will scorch the eyes of anyone who dares to look. The soldiers start to panic; I hear it in their voices. I know that what they see is a glowing mass behind a shield of the like they have never known before. I know they are afraid, because they have only seen power like this come from two people and I am most certainly not they.

I have to concentrate now. This is the hardest part. I must seek out how many individuals are in the building; I must then decide how much energy to release and hit them with, because too little and all they will get is a slight headache, too much and they all burn.

I don't want them to burn.

Slowly, the emerald fire grows brighter, and I can feel my friends wavering in the face of its intensity. Behind me, the target slumbers peacefully, unaware of the carnage I am about to unleash. Higher and higher, I stroke the power and then I hear the whispers beginning, poisoned promises that hint of might that is mine to control, mine to command, if I wish it. It holds no allure for me. With all the strength that comes with a foolishly naïve heart, I only ever wanted one thing, only ever wished for one man.

I think it's safe to say that I do not wish for things anymore.

_*^*Now.*^*_

The shield that protects us drops at my command. Hot air rushes over the three who have thrown them onto the ground and we hear the anguished screams of the soldiers before us, as I set their minds alight with pure energy and pure pain. When they wake, they will not remember a thing. Not us. Not the target.

When it is over, I'm plunging down to my knees, and my family is crowded around me, already berating me for the reckless act. I'm pushing their concerned hands away.

_*^*Later, later… suit…won't fit. The target…*^*_

_~*~What?~*~_ Exit asks sharply, glancing at the target's limp form behind us. Her eyes soften for an instant and then everything about her hardens. _~*~Why the hell not?~*~_

_*`* Jesus.*`* _Pulse breathes, examining our objective more closely. _*`*Suit's too big! The target's supposed to be ten years old, not six!*`*_

_*^* Five.*^*_ I gasp, struggling to get up, having gleaned this information from him while we connected. _*^*He's only five.*^*_

_~`~Shit!~`~ _Synapse swears. _~`~ I knew something was wrong…why the hell didn't Vittorio tell us?!~`~_

Hell, indeed. I shake my head, shoving away the various ways I can make the man pay for now.

_*^*We have to get out of here.*^*_

_~*~ No shit, Link,~*~_ Exit growls, looking ready to blast away everything in sight._ ~*~But we can't go if the target isn't properly contained. The wormhole would tear it's molecules apart and mad as I am at him, I am not going to be the one to tell Vittorio that we let his precious target scatter to the cosmos.~*~_

_*^* We can contain the target.*^* _I stare around me at the grim faces of my friends. _*^*We'll center it, and we'll go through the wormhole linked to each other and to-*^*_

_*`*No.*`*_ Pulse's eyes are glittering. _*`* No, Link, I will not connect to it.*`*_

_*^*Pulse-*^*_

***`* No.*`***

I close my eyes, knowing that if there is anyone more leery of connecting with her son than I am, it is Pulse. But we can't afford his squeamishness right now.

They're coming.

And I tell them so.

_*^*They're coming.*^*_

Synapse's head snaps up to face me. Exit's eyes widen and her mouth falls open. Pulse looks like we've flashed back to the time when I punched him in the face.

There is no further argument, because amazingly enough, never mind all we have been through, seeing them again IS our nightmare come to life. And having fought, tooth and nail, clawing and kicking to be as separate from them as we can possibly be while we all live in this abyss, seeing them now, having them discover OUR secrets for a change, is something we are not prepared to do.

We kneel in the square formation, one hand extended towards the person on our right, the other lightly touching the sleeping bundle on the floor in front of us. Exit's magenta is the first to blaze into being. I know she wants to get out of here as soon as possible, desperation is coloring her every move. Synapse's orange glow comes next and then almost grudgingly, Pulse's cool blue lights up. It's a little difficult to coax my emerald out but it does flare to life and then suddenly, I am one person and four people all at once.

_~*~I'm opening the wormhole. ~*~_

And its effects are felt immediately. Wind rushes. It howls. Whatever clothing that is loose enough to flap in the gale does. And still, we kneel motionless, glowing and surrounding the target in the midst of us with the protection of our own skins.

In the split second before the wormhole sucks us in, I feel a burst of fear and fury of the likes that I have not felt for what seems like eons. They have arrived…but I know, when they finally reach this place, all they will find is an open silver door and a hallway empty of intruders and flashes. We have learnt our lessons well. We will not be compromised by that annoying ability; we will not be discovered, we will not be found out.

In what seems like five seconds later, we are back on earth.

I can feel the cold floor seeping through the material that covers my knees. I open my eyes, and the target is still there, sleeping soundly on the floor, unaware that travel defying the speed of light has just taken place. I meet the eyes of my family, taking comfort in the fact that we are all alive and whole.

I catch the glazed look in Syn's eyes and must amend that statement.

We're alive, at least.

But we haven't been whole in a very long time.

Exit and Pulse are staring at the target, and unwillingly, my eyes drop to the figure in the center of us all too. It is wrong, I know it is wrong, but I cannot help the icy chill that closes like a fist over my heart, silencing the whispers that are saying the target looks like nothing more than an innocent little five year old. Here lies the ultimate result of all of her plotting and planning, the reason that we were left behind.

This tiny being is the reason why night after night, one of us will wake, screaming in pain, begging for mercy, resolutely telling the phantom ghosts of those who tortured us that we know nothing of his, or his family's whereabouts. He is reason we bear scars that will not heal, and one of our number will forever feel a little out of place, a little more alien than even the founding members of the abyss could ever hope to be.

" Well. I see you succeeded."

My reaction is instant, and so are those of my team. I raise my palm and loose a blast that would create a crater the size of a small house if it actually hit its mark. The rest bring up their combined shield, protecting themselves and the target. Vittorio, rather unfortunately, seems prepared for such an act, because he raises his own shield immediately and harmlessly absorbs the blast into it.

" Temper, temper. We've talked about this, haven't we little Link? How many times are you going to attempt to kill me after a mission?"

I don't answer him immediately, allowing myself to feel the seething rage that comes from the fact that willfully or not, he withheld information from us, and it almost turned deadly. I stand, and Exit, Synapse and Pulse follow suite behind me. They already know that I am going to attempt to kick the old man's ass for almost getting us killed.

Again.

" We're going out tonight," Exit announces, leading the way as they walk out of the room. " Make this quick, Link, and then get your dancing shoes on."

" I need a shower," Pulse grumbles from behind her. " Have to wash this…feeling off me."

Only Synapse hesitates, stopping to quickly cover the sleeping figure on the floor with his heavy jacket. He gives me a wan smile as he passes.

" I'm with your plan, by the way,"

And for a brief moment, I almost want to smile. Another one we got through safely, minimal injuries, no causalities. Thank God for small favors. My family gets to live one more night.

Then Vittorio's calculating silver eyes focus on me and all the ire rises up again. I wait till Syn has closed the door before I speak.

" Do you want a report?"

He nods coolly, quite willing to engage me in battle whether it is of words or strength-Vittorio has never cared. I sometimes wonder if he was created only to fight, because it is all he does. He seems to live, breathe and eat conflict. Whereas I would gladly give up almost anything in my life to not have to fight another day in my life, this being revels in it.

My wondering will continue, because I know he would never tell me even if I did dare ask.

"It's procedure, you know that." He says, eyes already on the target, still sleeping on the floor. I set my jaw and step in his line of vision, effectively blocking his way to his precious prize.

" It's also procedure to inform the team leader of ALL information pertinent to the mission. Or did you forget?" I sneer.

" Oh I didn't forget, young one. I was fully aware of this possibility."

" Then maybe you wouldn't mind explaining to me why I wasn't informed of this?" I snarl, gesturing to the child behind me. "The mission was almost compromised because of this lack of information, we were almost cornered, we almost DIED." I shake my head, knowing very well that he could care less if that happened. "He almost died." I indicate the sleeping bundle behind me.

For the first time, those cold silver eyes widened enough to register some fleeting emotion.

"Is he damaged?"

He takes a step towards the target and I step in his way once more.

"You are not getting anywhere near the target until I get some answers. Why did you send us after a ten-year-old boy if you had any idea that he was five? How the hell is this even possible?"

The silver gaze turns even more disdainful than usual, and a mocking smile draws his lips upwards.

"What's this? Concern for him?"

Contempt ripples through as he dangles my past with the Target's mother in front of me. Strands of hair fall into my face and I shove them impatiently, ignoring the fact that its come undone from the tight braid it was once in and that moonlight, in its familiar silver glory and not the harsh alien red, glints softly off the dark tresses. I glare at Vittorio, both to keep my mind on track and to reinforce that I am pissed off as all hell at him.

The fact that he is the sole reason my life is the way it is now does much to help me retain my anger. I think it's a good a time as any to show him who between us REALLY holds the power.

Like a popped balloon, air slowly escapes the room. It becomes heavy, like every molecule has turned into iron, cold and hard. Time seems to stop and the mentor is no longer in the same reality as me. I have cut him off, captured him in a pocket of time and space where every single thing is under my control.

Sucks to be him.

I'm feeling really bitchy at the moment.

I give credit where it is due though; Vittorio barely flinches, even when I manipulate it so that he is breathing only because I will him to. I walk towards him, slowly, deliberately, until he is looking directly into the emerald flames that have become my eyes.

" Do not fuck with me Vittorio. The next time you withhold information from me that puts us in danger, I'm going to make damn sure you spend eternity in that spot."

Eye contact lasts for what seems like eons, and he nods. I see the usual loathing in his eyes, the disgust he has never really gotten over that the granolith chose me, a mere human to be its ultimate bearer of power.

Feh.

Being the Conduit has to have SOME perks.

I release him and he takes a deep breath, and with that single action, he shakes off the discomfort that would have sent many other beings to their knees. There is no love lost between the mentor and I. I turn on my heel and although I cannot justify this to myself, I pick up the target, jacket and all, cradling him to my chest. I'll be damned if the first being who touches him on this planet is the sadistic bastard I have to take orders from.

" Where are you going, Link?"

I walk fast, anything to get distance between myself and the man I so desperately want to hit. " Away from you. Don't go near the Target, Vittorio. I'm marking him, and I will know if you got within 4 feet of the child."

I deposit the target in the room that was made ready for him and he immediately latches onto his pillow, snuggling into it for warmth.

He looks so…

I shake the thought away.

He is a Target. Nothing more.

Somewhere in me, pieces of the girl I used to be weep.

FIN


	2. Aftermath

2. Aftermath

_Summer 2001_

" What are we going to do?"

The shaky question had been one that no one had had the strength to voice, and now, it seemed to sap what little of it was left right out of the room.

Liz Parker shut her eyes, glad that for the moment at least, her back was to Maria and Kyle. At least for now, they wouldn't see that she was as lost as they were, that she was just as scared and more unsure about what their next step would be than she had ever been about anything in her entire life. Was this was Max had felt like the whole time? Confused, uncertain, and scared to death that each decision he made would cost someone his or her life?

Her eyes flew open.

On that count at least, Max was blameless. It wasn't he who had made the decision that had changed the path they were on because that sin had been all hers. She might not have killed Alex directly, but her hands were stained as red as the one who had.

The moment that Tess's treachery had been discovered, there had been a frantic race through the desert, a mad scramble up the rock formation and then wasted minutes of pounding on a solid stone face. Miraculously, Kyle's frustrated waving about had drawn forth the familiar silver handprint that had been the start of so much, and there had only been a beat before Liz had placed her shaking hand on it. Had they been less desperate, it had surely been a moment to ponder the implications of what had just happened, but as soon as the barrier had slid back, they were scrambling through. In seconds they had rushed to Isabel's pod and tumbling into the chamber. The noise was deafening, and Maria was shrieking Michael's name in terror could, the three of them slipping and sliding as the shook the world down around them. A particularly violent shudder knocked them all to the ground, and frantically, Liz lifted her head to see what had happened to the Granolith.

It was still intact, they were still inside, and Max was staring right her, eyes wide with fear for her safety.

Time stood still as they had locked gazes through the shimmering field cast over the four hybrids. In that one instant, in the moment that had seemed to last forever, the magic that had once made them Max and Liz, the single look that could communicate everything they were feeling, everything they needed to say, flared to life one more time.

And then she knew.

It too late, it couldn't be stopped; they were going to leave the planet with a killer, for God only knew what terrible fate. This time, though, this time, she wouldn't give up without a fight. Even as Kyle and Maria screamed at her to stop, as Max raged silently behind the force field for her to back down, Liz managed to leap to her feet and reach into the field surrounding the Granolith…and her hand had made it through.

Max's hand touched hers for the tiniest sliver of time.

Then the world had exploded in a roar of sound, and light and pain. There were a thousand voices, shrill and piercing and then one so ancient and ageless echoing in her head all at once, consuming everything, blocking the world out so much that when she had finally awoken, with Maria half sobbing next to her, and Kyle near frenetic with concern …they were gone.

They were gone.

Liz squared her shoulders. They were gone, and now, it was up to her to make sure that Maria and Kyle didn't pay any more than they already had for her mistakes. She had saved the world, but managed to ruin so many lives in the process. Maria and Michael had been separated. Kyle had been forced to be an accessory to a cover up. And Alex…as usual, her throat closed over at the thought of her absent best friend, but she breathed through the pain. She would have no more of it. When she turned to face Maria and Kyle, she kept her face composed and calm.

" We're going to go on like normal people would. We're going to answer the police's questions, we're going to go to their funerals, and we're going to go back to school. And when everything has died down, we're going to make sure everything else…is taken care of." She chose her words carefully, mindful of the fact that they might not be alone, that they were being watched. She had to be careful now. No one else could get hurt.

Logic, a friend who had been much more familiar to her before a bullet almost ended her life, was ruling now. In her mind, Liz was running through a list of the things they had to do to throw suspicion off them, a list of the things they had to hide, details they had to remember in order to stay safe. Miraculously, logic, and her fierce desire to ensure that no more suffering came to those she loved dampened the gnawing ache in her heart.

It was a relief to feel something other than pain for once.

Kyle and Maria stared at her, dumbfounded. Each was wondering where the girl who had been almost catatonic for the first day after the hybrids had blasted off planet had gone, but then they had seemed to accept her words.

It was just the three of them now.

FIN.


End file.
